Imaginative Play Furniture Cover

ABSTRACT

The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover transforms existing furniture into immersive imaginative play environments. It is made of flexible material, folding away into a small volume for storage or transport. It is easy to travel with, allowing parents to take play structures to other locations and eliminate the need for additional structures at visited locations. It can be machine washable to prevent the spread of germs in public play areas, such as schools or waiting rooms, and to keep it looking clean and neat. The main play elements are panels that are surrounded by a margin of background indicia, allowing the cover to fit furniture of various sizes. The main play element panels can be placed on the cover in such a way as to utilize the empty space within the furniture as multiple imaginative environments, maximizing creative play space in a small footprint.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This disclosure relates generally to a technical field of toy manufacturing and, in one embodiment, to a method, system and apparatus for an Imaginative Play Furniture Cover.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates in general to the fact that children love large immersive imaginative play environments. However, toys to fulfill that need are often large, bulky, heavy, expensive, and intrusive in multi purpose environments such as homes or classrooms.

The earliest patent on file addressing this issue is from 1886. U.S. Pat. No. 344,992 addressed portability by creating a foldable kitchen out of cardboard. In 1918, U.S. Pat. No. 1,270,888 also used cardboard for flat shipping and portability. In 1966 and 1967, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,266,063 and 3,295,150 used decorative textile bedspreads to cause a bed to appear like a single large object such as a car. In 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,359 introduced a free standing play kitchen. In 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 380,922 described a design for a disposable gaming tablecloth to replace multiple game boards. In 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 426,416 put a decorative cover on a lounge chair. In 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,058 B2 described a three dimensional learning chair. In 2006, U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,923 B2 described a modular play system composed of dedicated three dimensional shaped members. In 2006, U.S. Pat. No. US 2006/0207482 A1 described a fitted cushioned activity pad to protect children from injury and tables from damage.

U.S. Pat. No. 344,992 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,270,888 create a foldable kitchen out of cardboard. This is still bulky and requires a dedicated space when in use and significant storage space when not in use, it is expensive if replaced often, and it is impossible to clean without damaging the unit.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,266,063 and 3,295,150 used decorative textile bedspreads to cause a bed to appear like a single large object such as a car. A large bulky bedspread is not versatile enough to be usable in a public space and further does not satisfy the need for an imaginative play environment such as an entire kitchen workspace, as distinct from a single large object, such as a car.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,359 introduced a free standing play kitchen. Free standing play kitchens take significant dedicated public space, are hard to clean, and are not portable or easy to store.

U.S. Pat. No. 380,922 described a design for a disposable gaming tablecloth to replace multiple game boards. This does not create an imaginative play environment. Additionally, it is wasteful and would need to be replaced frequently for extensive use.

U.S. Pat. No. 426,416 put a decorative cover on a lounge chair. This does not provide an environment for imaginative play but is intended for decoration.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,058 B2 described a three dimensional learning chair. This chair requires dedicated public space and is not intended to produce an immersive imaginative environment for role playing. Additionally, it is difficult to clean, requires significant storage space and is not portable.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,923 B2 described a modular play system composed of dedicated three dimensional shaped members. This system requires a large dedicated space and uses custom modular members to create interchangeable three dimensional play items. It requires significant storage space and is not portable. Also, all parts require manual cleaning to prevent contagion if used in a public space.

U.S. Pat. No. US 2006/0207482 A1 described a fitted cushioned activity pad to protect children from injury and tables from damage. This pad is designed to prevent injury to small children and damage to a table. Because it is fitted, it is not usable on a broad range of existing surfaces and the cushioning makes it bulky for storage and transport.

Small living spaces, such as apartments, often do not have enough room to dedicate space to immersive play environments. Many parents wish to have adult looking areas for many purposes including entertaining, and play structures add unwanted clutter to such spaces.

Previously, the solution to this was to create temporary structures out of cardboard or to create dual purpose structures within dedicated children's space.

Temporary structures are not durable and cardboard is not cleanable without damage to the surface. Additionally, disposable temporary structures are wasteful and expensive in the long run. They also do not solve the clutter issue when in use. Dual purpose structures within dedicated children's space do not allow for play in public areas.

Rigid play structures, even if collapsible, require significant storage space when not in use.

Previously, the solution to this was to create limited use disposable play environments.

Disposable play environments are not durable or cleanable when in use and are wasteful and expensive if required to replace them.

Large play structures are not portable for travel or easy to move to other play areas such as a grandparent's house or a park.

Previously, the solution to this was to use smaller play structures, to have separate play structures at remote locations such as grandparents' homes, or to forgo use of the structure during travel.

Smaller structures are not as immersive as full size structures. Separate play structures in multiple places are expensive and require a dedicated space in a place where the structure may not be in frequent use. The lack of an imaginative play environment during travel can lead to stress and misbehavior due to boredom.

Rigid imaginative play structures are difficult to clean and therefore can pass germs in public play environments such as classrooms or waiting rooms and can become unsightly.

Previously, the solution to this was either to carry out frequent expensive routine cleaning with disinfectants, to use limited use disposable structures, or to forgo this type of structure in public environments.

Disinfectants are expensive, can cause adverse reactions in children, and require frequent tedious time consuming application. Limited use disposable structures are wasteful and expensive if replaced often enough to prevent contagion. Forgoing play structures in public environments can lead to children acting out due to boredom.

SUMMARY

The disclosure also known as the Imaginative Play Furniture Cover relates to a cover for existing furniture such as a chair, coffee table, picnic table, etc. . . . with indicia that, when the furniture is covered, transform it into an imaginative play environment that represents a real or fantastical setting for imaginative play or role playing.

The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover is made of a light flexible material that is foldable and storable in a small space. It can be brought out to use and then folded away when not in use. The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover is covered with indicia that represent a particular work or play environment such as a kitchen workspace or vehicle cockpit, so that placing The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover on an existing piece of furniture yields a complete play environment suitable for role playing and imaginative play. The Imaginative Play Furniture cover is versatile enough to fit many different sizes of furniture.

Small living spaces, such as apartments, often do not have enough room to dedicate space to immersive play environments. Many parents wish to have adult looking areas for many purposes including entertaining, and play structures add unwanted clutter to such spaces. The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover can be used in a very small public space with existing furniture and then can be conveniently stowed away in a small space when not in use. This eliminates clutter related to the play space and allows the space to be converted quickly to non play use. In addition, using the same physical volume inside a piece of furniture, such as a dining chair, as multiple play elements, such as an oven, a pantry, and a cabinet simultaneously, allows for a more compact play structure than would be possible with a rigid model of the same structure. For example, a dining chair cover could have an oven on the front bottom, a pantry on the left bottom, and a cabinet on the right bottom. The space within the chair can simultaneously represent all three elements, as well as an additional one to the rear.

Rigid play structures, even if collapsible, require significant storage space when not in use. The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover is made of a light flexible material that can fold away into a small volume for storage.

Large play structures are not portable for travel or easy to move to other play areas such as a grandparent's house or a park. The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover is foldable and lightweight for transport or travel. It can be carried easily to another place for full immersive play in multiple locations.

Rigid imaginative play structures are difficult to clean and therefore can pass germs in public play environments such as classrooms or waiting rooms and Can become unsightly. The Imaginative Play Furniture Cover is fully machine washable for ease of cleaning and sanitization.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings the form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a top elevation view in accordance with the present invention as a coffee table cover showing the detail of materials while laying flat.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in accordance with the present invention as a coffee table cover showing how it appears when on the coffee table.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view in accordance with the present invention as a dining chair cover showing how it appears from the front when on the chair.

FIG. 4 is a back perspective view in accordance with the present invention as a dining chair cover showing how it appears from the back when on the chair.

Drawings and from the Detailed Description are as follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.

The present invention is a furniture cover made of flexible material that is covered in indicia which creates an imaginative play environment. It can be made to cover any existing furniture and makes use of background indicia surrounding the main play space indicia to fit many different sizes of furniture with each embodiment. It can be folded away for storage into a small volume and is machine washable to prevent the spread of germs and for ease of cleaning.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan of the invention in the embodiment of a coffee table cover, laid flat. The depicted example comprises a rectangle of flexible material, covered in background indicia, (202) which is draped over a coffee table. An inner rectangle, which is covered in indicia that depict the main imaginative play spaces, (201) is centered on the outer rectangle (202) and is either directly on the outer rectangle (202) or sewn onto it to create an appearance of depth.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention in the embodiment of a coffee table cover, when deployed on a coffee table. The large rectangle of flexible material covered in background indicia (202) folds over the edges of the coffee table and allows for use on a range of coffee table sizes. The lower limit of usable coffee table size is defined by the inner rectangle covered in main play space indicia (201) that is centered on the larger rectangle (202).

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the invention in the embodiment of a dining chair cover, showing how it would appear when deployed on a dining chair. The depicted example comprises a chair cover of flexible material. The main play space panels (203) are surrounded by material covered in background indicia (204), which allows for fitting on multiple chair sizes. The sash (205) further aids in fitting the cover to various chair sizes.

FIG. 4 is a back perspective view of the invention in the embodiment of a dining chair cover, showing how it would appear when deployed on a dining chair. The main play space panels (203) are also on the back of the cover to create a complete immersive play environment. The material covered in background indicia (204) surrounds the main panels (203) on the back as well, allowing for maximum sizing versatility. The sash (205) ties at the back for aid in proper fitting on various chair sizes.

While at least two exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the disclosure, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. The system and all of its embodiments refer to: An apparatus; a furniture cover made of flexible material; the flexible material to be covered in background indicia; a panel or panels covered in indicia that create a role playing or fantastical play environment; the panel or panels to be either a subset of or attached onto the furniture cover.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the furniture cover is a rectangle that drapes over a coffee table.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the role playing indicia denotes a kitchen.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the role playing indicia denotes a control panel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the furniture cover is a dining chair cover.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the role playing indicia denotes a kitchen.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the role playing indicia denotes a workbench.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the furniture cover is a sofa cover.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the furniture cover is a table cover.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the cover has a slit or slits in it to denote a doorway or doorways.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the cover has a slit or slits in it to denote a window or windows; the cover has a flap or flaps on it to denote a window or windows.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the panels are attached to the furniture cover by means of re-attachable fasteners.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the re-attachable fasteners are hook and loop.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the re-attachable fasteners are snaps.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the indicia on the panels are rendered in perspective to match horizontal and vertical portions of the covered furniture with corresponding play elements in the same orientation.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the panels on multiple faces surrounding the furniture make multiple implied use of the space within the furniture thereby representing more enclosed volume than is physically present.
 17. Claim 2 comprises of An apparatus; a furniture cover made of flexible material; the flexible material to be covered in background indicia; a panel or panels covered in indicia that create a role playing or fantastical play environment; the panel or panels to be either a subset of or attached onto the furniture cover; the panel or panels to be surrounded by a margin of material covered in background indicia to facilitate ease of fitting on various sizes of furniture.
 18. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, the background indicia are chosen to blend with the play space being portrayed.
 19. Claim 3 comprises of An apparatus; a furniture cover made of flexible material; the flexible material to be covered in background indicia; a panel or panels covered in indicia that create a role playing or fantastical play environment; the panel or panels to be either a subset of or attached onto the furniture cover; the furniture cover and panels to be machine washable to prevent the spread of germs. 